by Ryk Brown
“That’s not too bad,” Nathan said.
“If we were talking about one battleship, I would agree,” Cameron remarked. “Even two, but two and a dreadnought?”
Nathan sighed. “Any chance we could increase production?”
“We’re lucky to get sixteen out per day,” Cameron replied. “We lost two plants in the last attack.”
Nathan thought for a moment. “A few days ago, I sent a message to Commander Prechitt asking for a readiness report. More specifically, I wanted to know if he could spare some Eagles for a few days to be used as air support, if we decide to attack the troops on Orswella. He suggested we use Nighthawks instead, since they are better armed and can make the journey more quickly, leaving Casbon with reduced forces for a shorter period.”
“You want to use Nighthawks against battleships?” Cameron wondered, a bit surprised.
“It worked before,” Nathan reminded her.
“That was an accident, and the crew was nearly killed,” Cameron argued.
“But it did work,” Nathan insisted.
“Perhaps, if you only used the Nighthawks that contained AIs,” General Telles suggested. “Their reaction times would be far better. Once inside the enemy’s shields, they could take out the emitters far more quickly and jump away.”
“The problem wasn’t with the crew’s reaction times,” Cameron explained. “Passing through the Dusahn’s shields killed their reactor. It took nearly a minute to get it back up and have enough power for maneuvering and weapons. That’s a long damn time when you’re a mere thirty meters away from a battleship.”
“Maybe Abby and Deliza could find a way to solve that problem,” Nathan suggested.
“That would help,” Cameron agreed, “but even if you sent for the Nighthawks, now, it’s going to be at least a day before they arrive.”
“They could use the Nighthawk we have on hand to experiment with, in the meantime,” Nathan pointed out.
“That would still leave them with only a day and a half to get the ships ready,” Cameron pointed out. “For this to work, you’d need at least two Nighthawks per battleship, with one as a backup. They would all have to attack at the same time, or the Dusahn will figure out what we’re doing and find a way to defend against it.”
“That’s assuming they haven’t already determined how we took down their last battleship,” General Telles warned.
“There were no indications that the battleship was able to get a message off before they were destroyed,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda insisted, “and the other ships were not in a position to witness the event.”
“What about old light?” Cameron wondered.
“Even if they managed to slip a few recon drones in, they would’ve had to be in just the right place to see anything,” the lieutenant commander replied. “Even then, it would have been awfully difficult to determine exactly what was happening. A Nighthawk against the hull of a battleship is almost impossible to detect from that range. I’m betting the Dusahn still believe it was a lucky shot.”
“Well, if those ships are headed this way, we’re going to need a lot of those lucky shots,” Cameron said.
“I want that battle group found and tracked,” Nathan instructed Lieutenant Commander Shinoda. “And I want constant recons of all Dusahn-held systems.”
“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant commander acknowledged.
“What about the Orswella system?” Cameron wondered. “Maybe we should recon that, as well?”
“I don’t want to take a chance of tipping off the Dusahn,” Nathan insisted. “Besides, Jess will be back tomorrow. Hopefully, she’ll bring us all the intel we need.”
* * *
As the recreational path penetrated deeper into Pentarna, it became more populated, even in the morning hours. Although there were a few lingering stares by passersby, the commander was certain it was due to the age difference between himself and Jessica, and not their attempt to mimic Orswellan fashion using Rakuen clothing.
Once well inside the town, they left the path and took to the city streets and pathways. The city was obviously well-planned, with meandering paths that reached every residence and business, and streets designed to provide delivery and logistical support to all buildings without creating a nuisance.
The people of Pentarna seemed quite content to walk or ride the readily available public transit buses.
“Do most of these people work in Ausley?” Jessica wondered.
“Most of those in the suburbs work in the factories and shipyards. Those who do not, work in shops that support the local population,” Commander Andreola explained.
“How do they get to the factories?”
“There are buses that depart at scheduled times from various locations throughout the city. Those going to the shipyards are taken to a nearby spaceport, where they are shuttled to and from work.”
“They don’t live at the shipyards?” Jessica wondered.
“Originally they did, but once the Dusahn got jump drives, they converted the living spaces on the shipyards into fabrication facilities in order to increase production. I guess it was easier to move workers to and from the shipyards than have the parts fabricated on the surface.”
“More likely, security had something to do with that decision,” Jessica surmised.
“Perhaps.” The commander stopped, staring at an apartment building to their left. “This is it.”
“She lives in there?”
“The last time I spoke with her, yes.”
“How long ago was that?” Jessica asked.
“Several years,” the commander answered, sounding somewhat sad.
“I take it there’s a reason,” Jessica said, noticing the commander’s expression.
“Yes. She may not be very happy to see me,” he admitted. “In fact, she might not even recognize me.”
“Well, as long as she doesn’t scream and call for help, it’s worth a try. Otherwise, we’re going to have to resort to stealing stuff.”
The commander took a deep breath and headed up the walkway. They entered the building and traveled down the corridor, which opened up onto a large courtyard at the other end. The commander made his way across the courtyard, directly to the door marked with the number seventeen. He paused, staring at the number.
“What is it?” Jessica wondered.
“Ironically, that may be the number of years since I last saw her.”
Jessica cast a suspicious glance at the commander as she stepped up to the door and rang the bell.
“Maybe she has already left for work,” the commander suggested, looking around to see if anyone had noticed them.
Jessica ignored him, ringing the bell again.
When no one answered, the commander reiterated his concerns. “Maybe we should go.”
“Why are you so jumpy?” Jessica asked.
“If we keep ringing the bell, the neighbors may take notice.”
“What, is there a customary number of rings on Orswella?”
“No, but…”
Jessica rang the bell one more time.
“Just a minute!” an annoyed female voice called from inside.
“There, see?” Jessica said. “You just have to be persistent.”
Finally, the door opened, revealing a petite, young woman dressed in a robe, with wet hair. “Can I help…”
“Hello,” Stethan said, his voice unsteady. “I’m sorry I didn’t call first, but…”
“Uh…” The young lady seemed completely thrown off. “You should come inside,” she suddenly decided, her expression changing from annoyance to nervousness.
Jessica was immediately suspicious but followed the commander inside, nevertheless.
“What the hell are you doing here?” the young woman demanded. “I thought you said it was too dangerous?�
�
“What the hell is going on here?” Jessica wondered. “Who are you?”
“He didn’t tell you?” the young woman wondered. “Of course not…”
“Someone needs to start explaining things,” Jessica demanded, turning toward the commander, “and I’m pretty sure that someone is you.”
“Marli, this is Jessica Nash,” Stethan told the young woman. “Jessica, this is Marli Ayers…my daughter.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nathan walked briskly across the Aurora’s main hangar bay toward Abby’s shuttle as it pulled to a stop. As he approached, the side hatch opened, the boarding steps extended, and Abby came out.
“What took you so long?” Nathan asked jokingly.
“We literally dropped everything and came as quickly as we could,” Deliza assured him as she came through the hatch after Abby.
“He’s kidding,” Abby told her. “What’s the emergency?” she asked Nathan.
“I need a way to protect the Nighthawk’s systems from being disrupted when they pass through the Dusahn’s shields. They need to be able to fire the moment they are inside their shield perimeter.”
“You’re talking about using their gravity drives to get inside their shields, right?” Deliza realized.
“That’s correct,” Nathan replied.
“I’m afraid to ask why,” Abby added.
“We’ve got three battleships headed our way,” Nathan told them. “Josh and Loki found a way in, by accident, last time. The problem is the full minute it took them to get their power restored and be able to attack. That’s what nearly got them killed.”
“How long do we have?”
“The attack will come in just under seventy hours,” Nathan replied. “I’m actually embarrassed that we didn’t pursue this idea earlier, but…”
“We’ve already looked into it,” Abby said. “We determined that the repulsive force exerted by the Nighthawk’s gravity lift systems disrupted the Dusahn shields in the area of contact.”
“But, they weren’t using the gravity lift systems at the time,” Nathan argued.
“No, but they were running,” Deliza explained. “They are charged and idling at all times. If the reactor is charged, then so are the gravity lift plates. They’re just not putting out much force.”
“What happens if you increase the force?” Nathan wondered.
“Nothing,” Abby replied. “It isn’t the gravity, itself, that is disrupting their shields; it’s the low-power field it is creating, combined with the slow speed at which the Nighthawk makes contact with the shield barrier. Any faster, and it wouldn’t have worked. In fact, according to the computer analysis we did, the Nighthawks should be able to jump through the Dusahn’s shields. They just need to do so at the correct closure rate.”
“Or?”
“Splat,” Deliza replied.
“Then, solve the systems disruption, and we have a way to bring down their shields,” Nathan surmised.
“My team has been working on this for the purposes of creating missiles that can jump inside the Dusahn’s shields and then detonate,” Abby explained.
“Oh, my God,” Nathan exclaimed, “that would be incredible! Is there any way you can retrofit our current missiles?”
“No,” Abby replied. “They will need to be re-engineered from the ground up. Our current missiles don’t have the room for a gravity lift system, and we’re still a long way from being able to produce a prototype.”
“How much longer do you need?” Nathan wondered.
“A lot more than three days,” she replied. “Even if we stopped working on everything else, which would be a mistake.”
“What about the Nighthawks?” Nathan wondered.
“The Nighthawks have very robust energy banks for their jump drives,” Deliza explained. “The quickest way to solve the problem is to simply link their weapons systems to those energy banks so they have the power to fire immediately.”
“What about having the power to jump clear?” Nathan wondered.
“As long as they start with a full charge, and their attack jump is short-range, there should be plenty of power to do both,” Abby assured him.
“How long will it take you to modify six Nighthawks?” Nathan asked.
“Do you have six Nighthawks?” Abby asked.
“We will by this time tomorrow,” Nathan promised.
“So, a day and a half to modify all six fighters,” Deliza said. “Not easy, but not impossible.”
“It would help if we could use the one you have on board as a prototype,” Abby suggested.
“Make a step-by-step guide,” Deliza realized. “I like it.”
“That’s why I brought you here,” Nathan instructed. “I’ve got a team waiting for you in the fighter maintenance hangar.”
“We’ll get right on it,” Deliza promised.
“Captain, Intel,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda called over Nathan’s comm-set.
“Go ahead,” Nathan replied.
“We have a new message from our friend on Takara.”
“I’ll be there shortly,” Nathan replied. “One more thing,” Nathan said to Abby, “if things don’t go well, you need to be ready to destroy your labs, and all the research, in them.”
“We’re always ready to do so,” Deliza assured him. “We update our files to the Aurora several times a day, and all our facilities are rigged to self-destruct on command.”
“We just need fifteen to twenty minutes of lead time to make sure everyone is evacuated beforehand,” Abby added.
“I can’t promise I can give you that,” Nathan responded. “So, all your people need to be out, and all files need to be transferred to the Aurora before the attack comes. In fact, better start moving your families back to the Mystic, now, just so we’re not all running out at the last minute. It would scare the hell out of the Rakuens.”
“Yes, sir,” Abby replied.
* * *
“She’s your what?” Jessica exclaimed.
“My daughter,” the commander repeated.
“What’s going on here?” Marli wondered.
“You’ve got about five seconds before I go all hanna-binka on your ass,” Jessica threatened.
“I can explain,” the commander assured her.
“You bet your ass you can.”
“Who is this woman?” Marli demanded. “Why are you here, after all this time?”
“You said you had no family,” Jessica said.
“A small untruth, I admit.”
“Nice word.”
“The Dusahn do not know about Marli,” the commander assured Jessica.
“How the hell is that possible?” Jessica challenged. “Surely they do background checks on all command personnel.”
“They do, but Marli’s mother and I were never married. Her mother’s husband is her father of record. It’s all very complicated.”
“Someone had better tell me what’s going on here, or I’ll call the constables, myself.”
“No, you won’t,” Jessica stated firmly. “Not if you want to live.”
“I had no choice, Lieutenant Commander,” Stethan insisted.
“Lieutenant Commander?” Marli said.
“You suck as a spy, you know that?” Jessica said.
“Then you outrank her,” Marli realized.
“Not exactly,” the commander replied.
“I don’t understand.”
“Technically, I am her prisoner.”
“That’s it, I’m calling the constables,” Marli decided, turning to pick up her comm-unit.
“Sit down, and shut up,” Jessica instructed her.
“I will do nothing of the sort,” Marli argued.
“Marli, please,” Stethan begged.
Jessica grabbed Ma
rli’s arm from behind and spun her around, striking her in the face with her open palm, and knocking her to the sofa. “The next one’s going to hurt a lot more,” Jessica warned. She spun around to face the commander, who was stepping toward her in his daughter’s defense. “Don’t!” Jessica warned, holding up her hand, “I’ll drop your ass, right here, in front of your little girl.”
The commander froze in his tracks.
“She’s crazy!” Marli exclaimed, holding her nose.
“No, I’m pissed,” Jessica corrected, “which is worse.” She turned back to the commander. “Sit your ass down next to her and start explaining, or I’ll take you both out now and take my chances alone.”
The commander glared at Jessica, his pulse racing.
“I promise you, I am far more deadly than I look,” Jessica added.
The determination in her eyes convinced the commander to do as he was told. He slowly walked around Jessica and over to his daughter, sitting next to her on the sofa. “Are you all right?”
“Stay away from me!” she objected, pushing him away.
“I’m sorry,” the commander told his daughter. “This wasn’t supposed to go this way.”
“What fucking way did you expect it to go?” Jessica wondered.
“I will do whatever you want,” the commander promised. “I will take you wherever you want to go, help you with whatever you need to do…on one condition.”
“Let me guess,” Jessica snarled.
“She has to come back with us,” Stethan finished.
“You are in no position to make any demands, you know.”
“Perhaps not,” the commander admitted, “but if you want my assistance, that is the price.”
“What makes you think I won’t agree to your terms, and then kill you both after I get what I need?”
“I pride myself on being a good judge of character,” Stethan told her. “I believe your captain to be an honorable man; although, I admit I am currently undecided about you.”
“You should be,” Jessica agreed. “Now start talking.”
Commander Andreola took a deep breath before beginning. “I was very close to Marli’s mother, right up until a few weeks before her wedding.”